Pippa Middleton get the look
Catherine Middleton’s marriage to Prince William has turned her younger sister Pippa into a global superstar. We take a look at the outfits that got helped her on her way and our experts explain how you can steal her style.
The morning after
The day after the wedding, a fresh-faced Pippa emerged from the Goring Hotel looking stylishly casual, championing the high street in a bright blue blazer from Zara. Pippa teamed the jacket with white skinny jeans – allowing the waiting press another glimpse of her famous derriere – and Tory Burch ballet pumps, which at £120 cost almost twice as much as the jacket. Her make-up was subtle and flattering, although the Body Shop’s head make-up artist, Chase Aston, believes she might have overdone the fake tan. “Pippa’s make-up was spot on for the wedding weekend – she looked fresh and glowing, natural and beautiful,” says Chase. “She may have overdone it just a little bit with the fake tan, but what bridesmaid or maid of honour hasn’t?”
Pippa’s wedding day dress turned the new Duchess of Cambridge’s sister into a global superstar, with many predicting her dress, not Catherine’s, will transform wedding dress trends for years to come. Her glossy mane was styled to complement Kate’s, as Fiona Chandler, who styled Pippa’s hair for the big day, explains. “Pippa has fantastic hair to work with,” says hair stylist Fiona, creative director and bridal expert at Richard Ward Hair. “Her hair was styled to echo Kate’s demi-chignon. The front was styled by taking sections and softly twisting and securing at the back. The main focus for this look was her gorgeous Lilly of the Valley accessories.This needed to be pinned carefully so the flowers didn’t move as she walked outside. For me, it was important to remember that Pippa is only 27, so I didn’t want to create a look that was too fussy.”
Few of us can carry off a cropped cardigan but Pippa does it with aplomb – in this case opting for a burnt orange creation that perfectly showcases her golden skin. “Pippa Middleton is a classic English beauty and this is reflected in her style,” says Sophia Jolly, Gold Label buyer at TK Maxx. “Her love of casual classics such as blazers, cardigans and jeans teamed with a flash of colour looks fresh and modern for day to day.”
Pippa’s always known how to dress her stunning figure, often opting for tailored jackets or dresses which showcase her tiny waist, using wide belts to add to the effect. “Like her sister Kate, Pippa’s look isn’t showy – her style is elegant, simple but amazingly stunning,” says Karine Jackson, former London Hairdresser of the Year and founder of karinejackson.co.uk.
While most of us would struggle to carry off the ‘leg warmers and roller skates’ look, Pippa does so with ease, which is precisely why she’s so popular with the general public – she’s got the kind of figure that would look good in a bin bag, but she’s never taken herself too seriously. Remember those pictures of her wearing a wedding dress made from loo roll? Enough said….
When it comes to accessories, Pippa loves to coordinate, often sporting a handbag in the same colour as her jacket or top. In this picture, taken in early 2007, Pippa teams a smart tailored jacket with a simple handbag in a matching shade. The Edinburgh university graduate has always had somewhat of a handbag fetish, and after she was snapped carrying the Modalu Bristol handbag outside the Goring Hotel, the bag sold out within hours.
This dress – worn by Pippa in 2008 – is another example of how Pippa’s fabulous figure allows her to wear the kind of dresses that can be hard to carry off if you’ve got a less than perfect figure. She’s also a dab hand when it comes to choosing the right colour, often plumping for pastel shades that perfectly accentuate her year-round tan. Most importantly, Pippa always manages to avoid the horror of a VPL by choosing her underwear carefully. “‘Choosing the right underwear is a key part of Pippa’s look,” says Debby Duckett, buying director at www.bouxavenue.com. “The perfect fitting lingerie can make all the difference to the lines and shape of an outfit. Pippa Middleton’s looks are always seamless with no VPLs.”
Bold prints can be hard to carry off, but Pippa does so with ease, often teaming a bold, printed item of clothing with toned-down, natural make-up. “Much like her sister Kate, Pippa has a signature look of soft smoky eyes and complements this with rosy blush and nude lips,” notes make-up artist Jemma Kidd. “The only difference in their make-up seems to be complexions – Pippa usually has a slightly warmer complexion than Kate who favours the pale English rose look.”
This animal print dress is another great example of how Pippa often lets one key item of clothing do the talking, in this case teaming a loud, zebra-print dress with nude heels while keeping accessories and make-up to a minimum. “Pippa’s choices of wrap and body-skimming dresses in brights and prints for events flatter her slender shape and fabulous legs,” says Sophia at TK Maxx.
The ruffles on this sunshine-yellow dress are perfect for flattering a larger behind, but Pippa certainly doesn’t need any help in this department. The contrasting belt again emphasises her narrow waist, while she’s also scaled back the jewellery and avoided showing too much flesh, in order to let the dress take centre stage.
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